March 1996

Colombian citizens continue to urge President Ernesto Samper to resign,
and U.S. officials are warning that the controversy over charges that he
accepted drug money for his political campaigns may have an impact on U.S.
anti-drug assistance.

U.S. Certification Unlikely

"It is a very sad and depressing show of the power of drug corruption,
which will hurt Colombia internationally, especially in the U.S. Congress
and the executive," the United States embassy said in a statement.
The statement may be a veiled reference to U.S. certification decisions
to be released by the White House on March 1. Outright decertification
would mean that Colombia would still be eligible for U.S. anti-drug funding
but that the U.S. would vote against Colombia's requests for loans from
international lending institutions.

Decertification would also mean the U.S. would end offering low tariffs
for Colombia's imported flowers, costing Colombia an estimated $60 million
and 100,000 jobs. Last year Colombia received conditional certification,
which means that while the U.S. thought the country was not doing enough
to stop drug trafficking, it was deemed in the interests of national security
to continue aid. Colombian business leaders, citing fear of decertification
and lack of faith in President Samper, traveled to Washington in early February
to persuade Congressional leaders to support recertification (Douglas Farah,
"Colombians Fear Crisis Will Damage Economy," Washington Post,
February 2, 1996, p. A22; Diana Jean Schemo, "The Fate of
Colombia's Leader," New York Times, February 2, 1996, p. A6).

U.S. sources cited by the Washington Post said certification of
Colombia this year is politically unacceptable and unlikely. "I would
hate to have to defend any certification decision in front of Helms,"
said one source, referring to Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a vocal critic of U.S. support
of Colombia. Helms introduced a bill last spring to cut off all economic
and military assistance to Colombia if Samper could not demonstrate progress
in an anti-drug strategy (see "Sen. Helms' Bill Aims to Shut Off
Aid to Colombia," NewsBriefs, September 1995, p. 7).

Samper Speaks to Colombian Congress

In a special session of the Colombian Congress on January 30, Samper
tried to deflect criticism about his alleged acceptance of a $6.1 million
campaign contribution from the Cali drug cartel in 1994. "The day that
we accept that judgments can be resolved outside of the judicial paths,
we will re-establish lynching, without the right to be heard," he told
the Congress. "That is the sensation I have felt several times in these
last months, when my honor and that of my family have been attacked with
unprecedented cruelty." The speech was well-received by members of
Congress (Diana Jean Schemo, "Besieged Colombian Leader Hints He Might
Quit," New York Times, January 31, 1996, p. A3; Douglas
Farah, "Samper Asks Probe, Trial By Colombian Legislature,"
Washington Post, January 31, 1996, p. A11).

Just after Samper's speech, Senator Maria Izquierdo addressed the Congress,
claiming that Samper had ordered her to pick up drug money for him. She
also charged that Samper told her to accept $300,000 in drug money from
Samper's Liberal Party campaign fund, which she used to pay for a rally.
She is now under arrest on charges that she accepted Cali cartel money.
Mysteriously, radio and television transmission of her speech were blacked
out by an unknown technical problem before she could finish. Colombian RCN
radio reported that 70% of people polled by their station said they had
little faith in Congress' willingness or ability to deal with the presidential
controversy (Douglas Farah, "Colombian Hopes Lawmakers Will Save Him,"
Washington Post, February 1, 1996, p. A18).

Samper has refused to leave office despite widespread protests, although
his aides say they have been discussing the option of resignation. In a
speech carried on Colombian television in early February, he said he and
his family have been threatened. He asked the Congress to investigate his
finances, but told his audience that he is "not prepared to negotiate
my innocence."

Witness Murdered

On February 2, a key witness against Samper was killed along with
her bodyguard. Elizabeth Montoya de Sarria, the wife of a former policeman
and drug trafficking suspect, had agreed to testify the next day about tape-recorded
conversations with Samper about drug cartel funds. Sarria was shot 12 times.
Her bodyguard, Humberto Vargas Rojas, was also killed. The former campaign
treasurer of Samper's Liberal political party, Santiago Medina, has told
prosecutors that Sarria acted as a go-between for Samper to the Cali cartel
in the president's effort to solicit contributions.

Soon after Sarria was murdered, her children fled to the U.S. and were
reportedly placed in the government witness protection program. From jail,
Sarria's husband Jesus Amado Sarria Agredo told local newspapers that he
would help the U.S. investigate drug trafficking if his children could have
refuge and be protected in the U.S.